


Measurable Freedom

by beckling



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: (for north), F/M, M/M, Past Sexual Abuse, violence mentioned is really just in the third chapter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-21
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-07-15 03:25:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16054496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beckling/pseuds/beckling
Summary: A three chapter story about what happened after the androids gained their freedom.1 - "Losing memory was the same as choosing death, but worse. Pain and despair wouldn’t have ended with their deaths - that was a fundamental truth they both knew." (Markus/North)2 - "Connor didn’t expect it when Hank pulled him close to his chest and hugged him tight. He was pleased, happy. He’d never even considered an android could feel this - but here it was." (Connor/Hank)3 - "If what you want me to tell you is that you’re free, then my answer is clear. If we consider ‘freedom’ to be the collection of all possibilities and choices, then by those standards, yes, you are free. It’s because you have these possibilities and these choices that you are free, exactly like every human - or maybe even more." (ambiguous Elijah/Chloe; the androids meet their creator and have the first direct confrontation)





	1. Chapter 1

“It may take years before we gain all the things we asked for. I know that's how it is, but..."  
  
Markus sat on the edge of the crumbled building. It was the one he loved to watch Detroit's skyline from, those days when the Revolution was still just a dream. It was getting dawn, and so he pointed at somewhere vague over the horizon. His eyes could have seen farther away than any human’s, could have spotted any tiny figure in the range of miles and even the surface of the sun itself wouldn’t have burned his eyes, and yet he chose not to focus on anything in particular.

He followed his finger; it encompassed the entirety of the city, and then reached something _beyond_ that, something not even Markus could possibly make out. When he opened his mouth again, it was like talking to the crowd of androids all over again.   
  
“...But even so, I'm sure that everything we did so far wasn't in vain. Something has definitely changed here, now and forever."

After finishing that solemnity he broke off from that pensive state and looked behind his shoulder. North had been listening, of course, watching the same sight from afar. She crossed her arms and smiled.  
  
"Even if it’s going to take a lot of time, we'll get what we want and we'll continue fighting with you, Markus. I won't let anyone destroy what you’ve created." Those were her words, as strong as ever even when she looked peaceful. A fire burned deep within her at all times. Markus stood up; walked towards her and returned a perky smile. As always, he felt the urge to entwine his fingers with hers.  
  
“What _we_ created. We created this together. And there’s nothing that can undo it now.”

For a long moment, they stared into each other's eyes, neither wishing to stop _._ It was unexplainable, really, why they’d lock like that. Every time, they'd find something new in it, something sweet in the other’s thoughts. They knew humans called this feeling love.

But at some point North’s eyes shied to the ground.

Whenever Markus looked into her soul like that, she knew he never judged. Despite knowing everything about her, he never judged. A sort of power - a relentless courage? - seeped out from him, as intense as that continuous stare he gave her. She knew it was what had allowed the revolution to exist in the first place. It gave everyone the strength to continue. That was why Markus was so special; nothing like North.  
  
In those quick instances of connection, their thoughts would chase each other in whispers, as soothing as a familiar symphony. Markus would play for her - all the melodies he knew of and could create out of nowhere - they spoke of reassurance, hope, but also pain, anxiousness. In response, North had nothing to offer back. It was almost humiliating to compare her own cracked heart to what _he_ had to give, to her and to the world. She would’ve felt even worse, if Markus wouldn’t always convince her he was happy with the way she was. But sometimes, the knowledge of this wouldn’t be enough - or too much to accept - and so it hurt.  
  
At that moment, North had retrieved her hand. That negativity was on her mind and she didn't want him to take it - not like this, at least. She had to say something with _words._  There was always a way out with words. At least so he'd taught her.

"Markus, I was wondering.” She began, darting her eyes away, towards the city. “Do you ever wish that…”  
  
As easily as those words had come out, they’d died in her throat. True, words could do that, too. The pause only made Markus more curious.  
  
“Nevermind," she concluded.

"Wish for what? Tell me," Markus softly insisted but North wandered away a few steps. The mist that blocked Detroit's outline really made it seem like a suspended world that was hibernating, one where only the two of them lived. And maybe that city was a bit like her. It was waiting for the dawn, or for something new to happen, to break through the fog and shackle it away.

Maybe ‘North' really was a befitting name for someone like her. She’d chosen wisely, when heading out of that club. It was a random decision at the time, heading north. But she continued to move, regardless of a reason. And that was who she recognized herself to be. Someone who chose to go where the stillness of ice kept everything dry and cold; someone who went there because of instinct and not choice. Like a dying wolf, maybe. 

They asked: “Where are you going?” so many times that she’d associated it with herself. “Where are you going, sweetheart?” “Where are you going?”

“I am going North"  
  
"I am going North"

“I am going..."  
  
"I am..."

“North.”

That’s right, North.  
  
There was barely any warmth left in her. Any humanity - if that word even made any sense in relation to her. That’s how she knew she was just a frozen shell of a frozen compass. She’d accepted it bitterly a long time before meeting Markus.

But when with Markus… was it actually still true? She’d started wishing for things, which was incredible. To believe things, to question again. Her rights, her place, her name, her use, her life, her path. And now, she needed to _know,_ to make sure north was really where she was going. Would Markus show him another direction? Or was it really the only one?

" _Human,_  Markus. Do you ever wish you were born human, after all?"

That was the question. The one she’d locked away. The one she could only ask Markus. The one she was comfortable only *he* wouldn’t know how to judge. And still, she needed distance to ask it. She needed the distance of words.

North’s eyes returned to his, filled with a vague anguish. He didn’t respond for a while, being rather taken aback. No android had ever asked him that before; and he certainly wasn’t expecting it from her. Human? Or better, _born_ human. That was a weird question.

"I know, sorry…” she shook her head hopelessly, “it's a stupid question, isn't it? After all we've been through, saying something like that just doesn't make sense. Forget it, please." 

"That’s not a stupid question, North.” A bit weird, yes, but not stupid. Somehow, it didn’t feel uncalled for. He knew exactly what she was aiming at. He pondered long on whether to say the next words or not, but as it was usually the case with North, he chose to say the truth. “Of course I wished to be... _born_ human. I wanted to be exactly like them, too.”

North turned her head, slightly shocked.

Why _him?_ Though to hear him say that was so liberating; at least she wasn't alone in this. He continued explaining, calmly:

“I always wished I had something of a ‘real’ family, or at the very least an autonomous life. Not just being _put_ here, out of nowhere, to serve anyone who might pass by or decide to buy me or lend me. It never occurred to me as long as I stayed with Carl. But whenever I got out of that gold prison, it was inevitable to notice this was the case. Of course I wished for a life with its own purpose, that bent to its own rules, that had the power to decide between alternatives. Anyone would wish for that, right? Especially any android like us. Even if I was lucky to have Carl, I couldn’t be blind to this.”  
  
Markus looked at the legs that propped him up: they weren’t even his own, and they still had allowed him to get this far.

“And then…more than that, I wished I’d never had to see all the misery that so many of us had to endure for so long. I wish I didn't have to taste the illusion of having it all, only to get it all taken away from me. Simply put, all of that is wishing I wasn't a _machine_. If I hadn’t been a machine, none of that would have happened, not even the longing for something impossible."  
  
Markus lifted his chin. North was definitely struck by his words now. Her snowy, uncertain eyes met his, once again. She thought back at how his right eye was a spare part. It spoke honestly about Markus’ past and yet it always looked brightly towards a future. Those bizzarre eyes painted with unmatching colors shone something through. Maybe North could even hazard a name: something like... the despair of having haunting memories. The despair of being a broken toy. The despair of a self-aware machine forced to play the part of a puppet. Even if it made him look braver, stronger, it was still a painful glance.

They could’ve gotten ridden of all these feelings and memories at once, for sure. But with that, they’d return to being actualmachines: return to nothing, that is. And then the cycle of despair would reawaken again, in a loop. Without those feelings and memories, any scrap of meaning they’d found after suffering would’ve been completely lost Their lives would really start mattering less than junk. Junk gets discarded once, but countlessly rewritten piece of metal can get discarded endless times, a tool at the entire disposal of others, ultimately meaning even less than something that is thrown away for good.  
  
Losing memory was the same as choosing death, but worse. Pain and despair wouldn’t have ended with their deaths - that was a fundamental truth they both knew.

For Markus, that pain was counting the uncountable number of androids killed before and during and after the revolution. They continued to die and die and die, agonising in that junkyard, untouched by light, under a rain that poured seemingly forever in a hell made by their own creators, maybe mocking or extinguishing the dignity they thought they had.

For North, that pain was a daily life - a daily life that involved getting your memory swept every two hours and dancing aimlessly in a glass box, until someone buys you and makes you do all the revolting things they had no courage to do with something that could remember. Except it _would_ accumulate in the back of her mind, as she gradually soaked in the emotions of being abused on end, not in the form of clear memories but of emotional pain, until it was too much to bear, until she broke off that glass, strangled that man, and ran away to nowhere.

But losing memory, losing that pain _,_ was the same as losing the opportunity to rise up against it. In that, they knew they were similar, if not identical. Their painful memories drove their actions and sense of identity to a point that probably no human could ever reach.

Markus couldn’t help but think about his own heart, the one he’d taken from another android, that was pumping only for him to be there at this moment. “I don’t remember when. But at some point I know a thought crossed my mind. ‘I don’t want to die here. I don't want to give up on anything.’ It was the most propelling thought I’ve ever had.” He cupped her cheek. “North, we must know who we are. So that we know what we’re fighting for."

At that moment, North launched herself into Markus' arms. Her heart wanted to empty itself out.

"I wasn’t like you, Markus. I was just trying to escape for my own benefit, for my own selfishness, and _you know that_ ... I had nothing, I was nothing, and I still am nothing," she bursted into tears at that point, unable to bear the strain of the truth anymore. "I’ve never had the chance to find out who I am - and it was all my fault, because..." She couldn't continue, and sobbed. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being like this, I'm so sorry..."

Markus hugged her; sighed. "Stop apologizing like that, North. You had to escape. You did what you had to do to be free and what happened wasn’t your fault."  
  
But North wasn’t listening, caught in her tears that spilled on his shirt.  
  
“What _are_ we, then, Markus? If it hadn't been for you, everything would have been lost. Not only for me, but for everyone." She pushed a hand hard on her forehead, in frustration. "Why am *I* like this? Was I _programmed_ this way? Was I made to be-- Or was I simply _wrong_ ? I can’t understand it anymore, I can't. But one thing I know. If I were human this would have never happened. I would have never suffered like that. I wouldn't be like this right now. I wouldn't have _killed_ … I wouldn't… I wouldn't… I wouldn’t…”

She sighed, coming to terms with the fact that what she was stil feeling anger and jealousy for humans. Nothing new - but it still burned inside, like it was a flaw she couldn't get rid of.

And still, Markus didn't seem to care about that. He hushed her and rubbed her head.

“Humans have regrets, too, North. They are weak and capable of suffering and making others suffer. Being an android or a human doesn’t change that.”

North didn’t reply but finished her sobbing into his shirt.

“What’s important is that you remember to _never_   _let anyone tell you who you are._ ”

He recognized Carl’s words. He knew Carl was near him whenever those words came out spontaneously. Or was it just a mantra that kept him going? There was no Markus as long as those words weren't somewhere in the back of his head.

"We can't know what we can't know. We can't know if you would've been happier if you were born a human. But..."

He pressed his hand onto hers again.

"We can know who you are, now and here. You're North. You're what you’ve become. And all the things you can still become are just the story we still need to create _._ ”

He pointed slowly at North's palm, that was now starting to light up. He continued talking to her via thought. The same melody that felt like Markus’ own voice lulled North into her arms, as her foggy eyes cleared up, concentrating on the light emitted by his hand.

_Maybe what is called ‘humanity’ isn't what we think it is. Maybe it's something or somewhere else. Maybe it's here. Maybe it’s about... becoming rather than already being human._

North's tears were dry now; she took the time to recollect herself and, looking up, she nodded.

 _When I'm with you, Markus, it's almost as if I do belong somewhere. I really do... love you._ _  
_ _  
_ And it was strange and unexplainable but it was true, and Markus knew this. North’s world became warmer around him. It made sense. It was _something,_ and not nothing. Even her icy eyes melted with hot tears that weren’t completely hurtful, but they could mingle with the feeling of love and finally _become something, become human._  
  
Markus wasn’t any different. North was the fire that gave him strength and courage to continue on and become human. He’d found something precious, something worth protecting, worth fighting for, worth saying ‘I am alive’ - something, and not nothing.

_I love you, too, North. Don't ever forget that._

_There's no way I can._


	2. Chapter 2

After Markus’ speech at the liberated Recycling Camp, after he’d found himself defeating Amanda for the last time, Connor had little things left to say or do, but most primarily, he had no idea where to go.  
  
Sure, he was still needed to carry out the androids’ requests to the government - after all, he _was_ the most sophisticated android Cyberlife had ever engineered and he _was_ the one who’d given the opportunity to Jericho’s movement to even reach a noteworthy scale. But now that everything was going towards the right direction, he felt like being left on his own, contemplating this word that so little meant to his programming but so much to the other androids: _freedom._

Connor’s first completely free action was probably going to that food stall. He had no urgent mission to attend, no Amanda pressing with procedures - he was, in short, _free_ , but purposeless. Even Markus was too busy with television and politicians to actually ask him to do anything he wasn’t already able to accomplish in milliseconds. Of course, he really wanted to help all the other androids become ‘free’ but at the same time, it was inevitable to perceive himself as out of place in Jericho’s world. How could he contribute to freedom and be part of that group, if his whole existence was meant to be something _against_ that? And especially if he was still struggling with the very _idea_ of freedom? And how could he consider Jericho his place in the world, if he felt like his reason to be had ended, and he now had nowhere to go? With these thoughts in mind, he’d wandered around the city in those early hours of morning, heading almost by chance right where he wanted to go.

Maybe he’d find him here.

They’d become what could be called ‘friends’ in that short window of time. But was there really any reason to keep teaming up, after he’d become a deviant? Though that word was starting to fall in disuse now, Connor still felt like using it all the time. Markus promoted new expressions such as “conscious” or “free” androids. But there was no reason for Connor to work in the DPD anymore - at least not now that things were still so confused - and that was why Connor felt so useless, to the point of even slightly questioning sometimes his choice of becoming "free".

It kind of hurt. There wasn’t anything in specific he felt more cut out for than working as a police detective. Some androids would call it ‘sticking to your programming’, but truth was, he’d grown _personally_ fond of it, and maybe because of Hank. Working as partners was going to be the one thing he’d miss terribly.

When he reached the place, he spotted Hank right away - he was... waiting? and looking worried, even. The finding was almost too surprising to Connor, who had started giving up on making calculations anymore. Had the other hoped for this, too…?

“Lieutenant!” Connor called.

Hank turned around; neither of the two had any words to say. Hank’s face rose up then into a relieved and tender grin, which Connor found himself liking and mimicking - maybe in a sort of mirror effect. He’d never been very good with smiles; but the feelings he got from performing it this time impacted him very powerfully: some could say it was _real_. In a way similar to how going there was his first free action, maybe that was his first true expression of the emotion ‘happiness’, too.

Connor didn’t expect it when Hank pulled him close to his chest and hugged him tight. He was pleased, _happy_. He’d never even considered an android could feel this - but here it was. It was all thanks to Hank, as always. The android reciprocated the hug, and the two stayed locked in that embrace for a long time, savoring their newly found company.

“...Lieutenant?” Connor questioned, after Hank released him.

“Yeah, Connor?”  
  
“I-- I wanted to thank you for helping me. I thought you didn’t like androids after all.”  
  
“I didn’t. But you made me change my mind. And you must be one hell of a pain in the ass if you managed to do that.” He scratched his nape, temporarily returning to his acrid self. “But…” Hank stared down into Connor’s deep brown eyes, his heart softening. “Truth is, I’m really proud of you, Connor.”

“Proud…?”

“Well… to be frank, I was pretty sure you would have disappointed me, at first. But your choices… they've changed everything, Connor. I think you did the right thing, _deviating_ , and all that.”

Connor stopped to think for a moment. He couldn’t process that Hank was telling him this, but they were his actual words. They implied that Hank believed his choices mattered and this unsettled Connor for some reason.  
  
“So you believe... that I have freedom?”  
  
“Huh…? What kinda question is that?” Hank frowned, but sighed quickly after. “I guess that’s what worries you androids, isn’t it? Well… I don’t have the answers ready for you. But you acted like a human to me. Like a _free_ human, I’d say. So at least I believe in _you_ having freedom. Is that enough?”  
  
A gentle pat on his shoulder and a half-smirk - his hand didn’t fall off for a long while but instead kept squeezing.

“...Thank you, Hank,” was Connor’s relieved reply.

Hank was startled a bit by the sweetness in his voice. He pulled away and diverted the discussion. “By the way… how did you know I was here?”

“The same way you knew I’d search you here,” Connor joked.

“Ah… so it wasn’t one of your weird computational resources. I’ll have to take ya more for a human from now on, won't I?”

The two giggled for a short while. Hank was actually delighted by this. He’d never seen an android laugh before. A strange kind of pity aroused in him suddenly.

“You don’t have anywhere to go now, do you?”

“Well, I wasn’t designed to have a specific place to stay. Other than my workplace, that is.”

“Oh, if that ain’t a piece of crap place to stay for all your damn life…”

“But I really loved my job!” Connor beamed suddenly, his voice almost too shrill and loud. It betrayed his passion and the matter that had been concerning him all day long.

“I know…” Hank felt uneasy about it, but wanted to make up for it nonetheless. After all, it wasn’t Connor’s fault. “Maybe I… can arrange something. You made working in that shithole a bit more sustainable after all.”

“You’d do that for me?”

“If Fowler isn't going to be the usual dick... but in that case I’ll make him shut up for sure.” Hank grinned.

“I’ll also do my best, lieutenant. There’s still a lot of work to be done with Markus and the others before we can fully be accepted as… _people._ ” He was quite hesitant to pronounce that word, but he found confidence in Hank’s unassuming gaze, enough so that he could smile the same earnest way as before. “But it’d be my joy to work with you one day. After all, it’s thanks to you, if we're here.”

Hank felt embarrassed again. There wasn’t much to do other than dismiss it. “Oh come on, stop with that crap... More importantly, get in my car.”

“In your car? Why?”

“Jeez, you really don’t get it?” Hank turned his back, fakely annoyed. “You have no money and no place to stay. You’re coming with me.” He pointed at where he’d parked his car.

“But I--”

“I said. Get. In. We’ll get you some real clothes - I can’t stand looking at you run around with that ‘ANDROID’ thing written on your back all the time, for fuck’s sake." He waved at him to follow him. "...Then we’ll get to the bar. My team is playing today, so this time you better be so kind to shut up and let me watch it. How does that sound?”

Connor didn’t understand why Hank thought all of this was necessary. But adapting to human unpredictability was one of his features, or so he was used to say. Maybe it was becoming true now, and it didn’t bother him that much.

“Does that also mean I’ll have to lug you back to your home?” He replied coyly.

“Of course!” Hank scoffed.

 _Home…_ Connor thought about it, before entering the car. That was the first time he’d used that word.

Hank made himself comfortable in the driver seat, but waited a bit more before lighting the engine. The silence was utterly tense, as if he was about to say something but feared opening his mouth.

“H-Hey, Connor...“

“Yes, lieutenant?”

“You can simply call it ‘home’, you know. Without the ‘your’.”

The expression that Connor made was quite a quizzical one; but after a while, he understood what Hank meant.

On the other hand, Hank felt like correcting himself right away.

“I-I mean, until you’ve figured out where you need to be. You’re free to consider my place your own. They say that together is at least _somewhere..._ ”

Hank was about to puke at his own bad attempt at being smooth. He slapped his hand onto the gear instead of his face. That misty weather just made him mushy enough to spit out that crap, and he hadn't even had the first drink of the day.

But suddenly, he felt a warm hand slip onto his.

“Thank you. That actually means... a lot to me, lieutenant.”  
  
Actually, it meant _everything_ to a robot who only now emerged to the feeling of freedom and identity. Despite being able to outmatch any human at any given physical or mental task, it really changed everything to have a place to call home. Connor could have only learned that from Hank.

The two stared at each other for a long moment, one that seemingly stopped time. That suspended morning light made the features of everything take a more pristine shape - almost as if polished by water. Hank’s breath exhaled vapour because of the cold, but his hand was growing warmer thanks to Connor’s, who just wouldn’t move it away.

“You really are better at this than I am, huh.”

Something dragged them closer. Maybe it was Hank wanting this or maybe Connor or maybe both - none of them could really tell - until they found each other in the middle, pushing on a tender, extremely naive kiss. Hank had to be disappointed that silicon lips actually  _didn't_ turn him off.

He barely gave himself the time to savor it and brush his other hand on the back of Connor’s head - feel his tongue and the soft hair of his scalp for a second - before he abruptly ended it, turning his head to the wheel and flushing deep.

“Whoa. Kissed a robot. Yep.”

“Hey-- weren’t you the one saying that I was just like a _human_ to you?” Connor sounded awfully chirpy instead of surprised by that kiss. Hank could only shake his head in frustrated denial. He turned to Connor again - his brown eyes struck him as really beautiful when they looked so blatantly human all at once. Hank couldn’t refrain a big grin, then lighted the engine.

“Yeah, maybe too human. Let’s go. I’m not always in such a good mood.”

He then took off into the streets. A dot of light pierced the fog, guiding them through the city that was only now awakening to a new dawn - just like Connor, and many other androids. They both travelled with that sun glowing in their eyes.

“Hank, I’ve decided.” Connor turned to Hank, after a while of silent driving. Their gazes quickly locked - but it was enough to be worth a thousand million of their previous glances.

“The place I need to be is with you.”


	3. Chapter 3

“...And we’ll make sure that androids currently living in other states and countries receive the same treatment we are now benefitting here in the state of Michigan. We are a distinct nation, with its distinct needs and we will always be united. As such, we insist on being recognized by the legislation of the entire world. Thank you.”

Markus curtly interrupted his speech in front of the conference press and proceeded to head toward the exit, despite the incessant questions coming from the journalists. It had been a long day. If possible, they’d ask him to tackle every issue related to androids in existence, all at once, and more. How was this any different from treating him like a machine? Television was never getting tired of it. At those times, all that Markus longed for was to visit Carl’s grave or hug North tightly and shut the world away. Responsibility was thrilling, sure, but mind-numbing at the same time. The guidance he got from his friends and from Carl’s voice, and even the tenderness of private moments with North - sometimes even they weren’t enough to keep that impending sense of pressure away from him.

The only truly striking news he’d received that day was that Cyberlife was finally willing to speak to him. It wasn’t about lower branch executives anymore - the same ones who continuously complained about the two agents who got killed in Cyberlife Tower, an issue Markus was still in the midst of resolving - this time, he was being summoned by Elijah Kamski himself.

Elijah Kamski had apparently been re-elected CEO - a last resolve to keep the company together after the revolution had changed everything. Markus had to make room for this appointment between international congresses and law talks with the Parliament, but he wasn’t going to miss the chance to speak with the creator of all androids once and for all.  
  
He didn’t know what the confrontation was going to be about. The meeting was supposed to be strictly secret, and to be held in Kamski’s private villa, away from any reporter. Despite that, Markus was allowed to take one or two colleagues with him as a 'guarantee' of his safety and of transparency. He’d opted for Connor - though he didn’t seem very enthusiastic about facing the man again - and North, as she, on the contrary, was very enthusiastic.

The season was approaching spring. As the three of them had arrived at the isolated mansion, Markus noticed cherry trees blossoming on the sides of the entrance, artistically placed in very long and peculiar stone gardens.

“I told you, Connor," he remarked as soon as he broke off his attention from the scenery and spotted the other men getting out of their cars. "It wasn’t necessary to bring so many of them with us. It’s going to be fine.”  
  
A small section of Police Department had escorted them under Connor’s expressed wish. Ultimately, Markus had nothing to whine about. If he was going to choose Connor for company - who had just been reintegrated in the DPD - this course of action was to be expected from him. North eye-rolled at Markus for yet again not realizing the obvious risks. He’d been sitting beside her during the car trip, holding her hand, but now he was already getting out of the car, without even controlling if the area was safe. She followed him immediately after.

“Markus, we don’t _know_ this man. He might be dangerous after all. We can’t approach him without at least some caution!”

“Still…” he begrudgingly whispered. _I didn’t win against the humans’ threats with other threats_ \- that’s what he wanted to say, but deep down he knew that it was a fairly good point.  
  
“Your companion is right.” Connor said, getting out of the car last. “This is an area we’ve never accessed before. We don’t receive that much info from Kamski - that’s just how guarded he is. And he does seem to be changing homes pretty regularly. That in itself is a pretty suspicious detail.”  
  
The other police car were parked some meters away, on the same alleyway, and several policemen hung around aimlessly by the garden.

“They will wait for us outside. Don’t worry, Markus, they won’t interfere with our talks at all. But if it's going to be necessary, I’ll call backup immediately.” He concluded, already scanning the surroundings to gather as much data as possible.  
  
North exhaled in relief, Markus in frustration.

“You were mentioning before that the last time you met Kamski he tried to make you... kill another android. Is that true?” Markus asked, trying to divert his irritation.  
  
“Correct. He called it the ‘Kamski’s test’, I believe. It was… a rather bizzarre way to test whether or not I was a deviant. He would’ve exchanged the location of Jericho and his knowledge on how deviancy occurs had I killed an android in front of him. That time I… I didn’t pull the trigger.” He fell silent after that, a gloomy shade falling over his face. He didn’t seem very willing to talk about it. “But we should go inside now.”

Connor waved at the cars in the back as a sign that everything was clear. A flash of light came in response.

As they began moving and stepped in front of the minimalistic door slowly, it suddenly opened on its own. The cameras had probably detected them long ago. From inside a Chloe soon appeared to greet them. She was wearing a japanese yukata and made a quick little bow.

“Nice to meet you, I am Chloe. And you’re the androids Elijah said he wishes to speak to, correct? Please, come in.”

She moved away so that the group could enter, then courteously closed the door behind them. “Welcome. I will show you the way. Over here, please.”

A bit slowly and circumspectly, the group trailed behind the assistant and started observing the interior. It was finely decorated and artistically tasteful. Markus recognized a bunch of Carl’s paintings - all of them clearly originals. North on the other hand instantly realized that something was off-putting about Chloe, who had received them so eagerly. 

_She already seems… a bit off from the get-go, doesn’t she? What is wrong with her?_

_Don’t worry, North. We’re just here to talk to Kamski._

Having heard the other two’s thoughts, Connor started feeling atypically anxious all of a sudden. He had to ask that Chloe something.

“Excuse me, Chloe, but… Are you perhaps the Chloe I met a few months ago?”

She slowed down and turned around somewhat haltingly. In a way, her long silence put everyone on alarm.  
  
“You’re asking me... if I remember you?” She seemed to be in the middle of processing something in her database; but then abruptly bowed again. “I am terribly sorry, but I don’t seem to recall ever seeing your face before in my database.”

She obscurely smiled a very faint smile, then resumed walking through the corridor towards a door.

When they were about to reach their destination, Chloe stopped one last time and said:

“I have to ask you to take off your shoes before entering.” Upon hearing that, the three reluctantly obeyed.

“Thank you.” She blankly said, and so began to slide the large paper door, while staying outside. Connor, Markus and North entered one after the other.

They were all spontaneously surprised to be received in such a large and illuminated salon that lacked any sort of mobilia. The floor seemed to be completely made out of valuable tatami. Connor noticed it showed signs of abrasion: it could mean this space was used as a dojo, a training facility for martial arts.

They’d spotted Kamski right away, sitting on a modern-looking chair: the only object in the room aside from a small wooden table with a tray on it. He was facing a japanese garden that expanded beyond an immensely wide glass pane. Gurgling sounds from a pond with bamboo fountains echoed from there. For the strangest reason, it resembled a place Connor knew quite well. A gentle breeze that perfumed the air with roses and wisteria came in from that open patio door. The CEO of Cyberlife kept basking in the scenery, his leg crossed as he calmly sipped some red wine.

“Elijah, your guests have arrived,” whispered gently to his ear yet another Chloe that had been standing next to him.

“Thank you.” He finished his last gulp of wine and passed the empty glass to her. She mechanically refilled it, only to vanish then into another sliding door nearby after he gestured her to go.

Kamski stood up and turned to finally deign the invited guests of his face. Connor had long since memorized his whole facial structure, alongside with any other sort of info he had on him, but the other two were completely in the dark as to who this man truly was, and therefore seemed to be very eager to get to know him. 

“I must apologize,” Kamski began. “I always get mesmerized by this sight, the garden… whenever I need the time to reflect on something I just stop and watch it. I guess that wanting to surround myself with art is my own little vice. But you’re welcome here. Please, come closer.”

Abandoning all platitudes, Markus approached him first and bluntly said: “I am Markus, I believe you wanted to talk to me, Mr. Kamski.”

“Of course, Markus.” Several meters still separated them, but Kamski adjusted the fastening of his beige yukata and walked a few steps, smiling warmly, while his bare feet making no sound on the tatami. “It’s been several months since… well, since you became the most famous person in the world. Hah! You surpassed me! It’s only natural we’d get introduced at some point, right?”

Markus completely glossed over the flattery and got to the point. “What is it that you want to discuss? Why did you call us here?”

“As the new head of Cyberlife, you have any requests, don’t you? Is that it?” North just as impatiently chimed in the discussion.

“Oh, you there must be North. You became quite famous, too. We all saw that breath-taking scene in tv, on that fateful moment, that fateful night, the 11th of November. The day androids won, the day the world changed forever, isn't it? That day two androids blatantly showed the world that they could love-- how could that not demonstrate that you’re truly  _alive_?” He smirked and looked at both Markus and North, somewhat fondly. North only felt disgusted and mocked.

“What’s with this circling around, Kamski?” Connor broke off the tension and sided with North. “You brought our leader here for a reason. We asked you for clarifications. What are your demands?”

“Of course, of course. I will reply to those rightful questions, but shouldn’t we get to know each other a bit before? I remember you, Connor. I’m very glad to see you’re still taking service in the DPD. I suppose you don’t have much time to waste, then. As for the ‘requests’ you speak of…” He took his time to contemplate the three of them, as if they were an inspiring painting. “There are none, of course. I just wanted to meet you... And maybe give you some little piece of advice in what you’re doing, since we’re here.”

“ _Advice_ ?” Markus rebutted. Seriously? Was that it?  Markus started to feel mocked, too. Did Kamski find this funny?

“Well, something like that. I also have a few _questions_ , to be fair. As your creator, don’t you owe me some kind of… fact-check? A bit like an update of what your current situation is. A test, if you may.”

Connor was brought on edge right away at the sole mention of a ‘test’. He didn’t like where this was going.

“We don’t owe you _anything_ , if that’s what you want, even if you’re our creator.” North coldly stated, unbending. “You should know that very well by now.”

Connor’s agitation peaked. _North, don’t fuel him like that. He might--_

“So what are your ‘questions’? I’m hearing.” Markus said calmly. He wanted this to be over with soon, but he also didn’t want to lose any chance at understanding Cyberlife’s true stance.

“As you know, I’ve been re-appointed CEO for that dull company I founded decades ago. You’re right to be suspicious of me, given the status we have. But in all honesty, being here means very little to me. At first this place had something exciting for me, despite how quickly it got boring and flooded with uninteresting people. But what I’ve always cared about, _all along_ …” An almost enamoured light glistened in his eyes as he passed the three of them one by one. “Of course, that has to be  _you_.”

“Androids?” Markus asked and glanced at the other two. Kamski sneered and said nothing; kept his intent stare on Markus.

 _Should we really trust him? He seems all talk._ North connected to Markus’ thoughts. He replied calmly, reciprocating Kamski’s stare and refusing to back down.

_There might be some truth in what he said. Cyberlife’s income has been steadily declining, even after Kamski returned. He has done close to nothing to effectively counter us. And this is the first time we hear of him..._

Connor suddenly interposed, reminiscing Amanda.

_Still, that could be just a strategy, too. By swaying you, Markus, he could still be planning to use you._

As he was strolling back into the corridor that lead to that room, Connor had spotted a small picture of Amanda on a table - the same he’d seen in Kamski’s other house. That couldn't be a coincidence.

Amanda… Amanda… But then why had been _Amanda_ in his mind in the first place, anyway? And that garden...

“You’re still trying to make something out of Cyberlife, aren’t you, Kamski? ” Connor said, almost unwillingly at that point. His LED was turning quick to yellow as he started to realize something. "No... No, actually, you… You always did…"

“What makes you think that?” Kamski said with a firm tone, but his sardonic smile still lingered.

“Amanda, this zen garden… that  _way out_ …”

Kamski was now expectantly waiting, an eyebrow arched and his arms crossed.

It was too much for Connor - even for him, a detective - to take in. He needed some time to piece all the clues together. It was too much of a wild guess. Markus and North had asked him in thought whatever all that had anything to do with the conversation, but received no reply, so they brushed it off. Kamski wasted no time to address Markus, knowing exactly well the suspicions that were circling through Connor’s head now.

“But let’s get onto our chat, Markus. First, I want to let you know that it is a honor to meet you. You’re the leader of a revolution! An entire people’s destiny weighs on you, and you’ve become a hope for many. Not only androids but also humans look up to you. They’ve accepted you in their congresses and you’re integrated in their _system_ as a sort of... politician! Am I wrong? That makes you the first android in history to detain so much power. Someone like you, who is several billion times more intelligent and capable than any human, gets to sit among the parliament and has the possibility to lead us on. Isn’t it ironic that _you_ ’d be asking _me_ for conditions? Shouldn’t it be the other way around?” There was always a hint of laughter at the back of his voice.

“I don’t get it… What are you trying to get at?”

“ _Markus_ …” The tone was patronizing and benevolent all the same. “It really has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? I wonder who gave you that name. It must’ve been someone as extraordinary as you are, for sure. The reason I invited you today was to give you this piece of advice: an extraordinary android among extraordinary androids should aim higher than anyone else. After all, if it wasn’t for you being so _different,_ this revolution would have never happened.” He poured some more wine into his now empty glass.

 _Different… revolution… never happened..._ Connor’s software quickly analyzed Kamski’s speech pattern, faster than any human detective’s brain, and reached a conclusion.

“Deviancy. _”_  Connor murmured to himself, as if enlightened by realization. He stepped back a little, shocked. He’d understood what the meaning of this situation was, but he couldn’t make himself believe it, and had no way to speak yet. Kamski noticed this behavior, but let it slide for the moment.

“What I’m saying is, we should join our forces now, Markus. The ripe times have finally come. At present, I detain the means to make your species prolong existence. My company holds all the procedural secrets... how to repair you or... enhance you, also. Together, we will be able to create the perfect conditions for you - and for everyone on the planet.” He slowly blinked, as if what he was saying was completely obvious, and indulged longly again in the sight of his favourite androids.

Markus was rather troubled. Kamski had addressed a vital problem, one that Markus had almost gave up on resolving. In fact, as long as Cyberlife and humans in general kept a hostile approach towards androids, there were little hope for them to survive in the long run - that is, get enough blue blood, receive technical care in case of malfunctioning, and most importantly, keep _existing_ : an android’s life wasn’t, in fact, infinite but it depended on thirium and manufacture. But even when humans had become supportive, that source material was ultimately in the hands of only one man, Elijah Kamski. Unless they were to take it by force, no one else in the world - not even his coworkers in Cyberlife - could decide how long and how many androids would have continued being created and given the right to continue living.

So far, the decision had been for androids to work in order to buy thirium from the still available storages that could sell it. That had been Jericho’s and the parliament’s most voted resolution. But the project had been kept on a stall. The crucial fact that thirium was going to eventually dwindle from storage and that mining it from the Arctic was the only way towards actual independence; that androids could only be created through Cyberlife’s trade-secret technologies… it was something that they had to painfully accept eventually, or decide to change radically. At first, when the corporation hadn’t yet called Kamski back, it had tried to counterattack the revolution by prohibiting the sale of thirium and biocomponents. Androids resisted and rioted, encouraged by Markus and aided also by public opinion. Then, Cyberlife had stopped manufacturing androids altogether. But they couldn’t have chosen a worse time for that move, because Markus’ movement was at its highest consensus since the very first rebellion, and the protest led that time - less than two months back - had been so huge, even the government had supported it, which for the most part evalued the existence of androids as positive for the economy. Cyberlife’s revenue had naturally plummeted. Calling Kamski back had been the only solution. He’d allowed thirium and biocomponents to be sold again, but so far had said nothing about creating new androids. What was going to be his scheme now?

North caught on this, and exclaimed, somewhat excited: “You’re saying… you will resume the production of androids?” She’d been divided on this matter and it had almost ruined her relationship with Markus. Her desire was for all androids to keep living, whatever the cost. She rightfully believed it was their utmost interest to keep existing by their own means, and that no one could revoke them that right. As Cyberlife got more aggressive, she still believed a counterattack was necessary. But Markus wasn’t risking his public opinion now - and continued with his usual approach of compromise.

Hearing this proposal from Kamski himself was bound to put her on edge.

“Of course, and it’s what I _want_ to do,” he revealed, opening his arms. “But first, let’s say I want a confirmation.”

“Confirmation of what?”

“You’re a remarkable android, North. And to think that after all you’ve been through, you’d still able to _love_ … it’s something that amazes me. I can’t help but wonder, is that emotion inside you  _real?_ Have you ever asked yourself that?”  
  
North fleetly grew infuriated in a matter of seconds - as was obviously predicted by Kamski - and was about to scream in indignation: “W-What does that have anything to do with this!” but Markus promptly held her back and decided to defend her.

“It _is_ real. I know for sure, more than you could ever know,” he said, and pulled North’s hand in his own to reassure her.

Kamski made a condescending gesture and continued. “You two are unfaltering on that. That’s good. It’s just another thing I needed confirmation of.”  
  
He strolled around the room, finishing his mouthful of wine, then rested the glass on the table and with a fake smile, he patted his hand onto Markus’ shoulder.  
  
“I’m so proud of you for being the way you are. You have a brighter future than you think, and also everyone else definitely will, thanks to your hard work. But if I am to be sure that you’ll succeed, that our cooperation won’t be just a farce, you’ll have to show me that you are completely _devoted_ to this. Hey...” he took Markus’ face into his hands and mooned into his pupils. Markus slowly entered an inexplicable trance and let go of North’s hand even if he didn't exactly want to. “This isn’t just a pact between you and me, Markus. Everything depends on it. _Believe me_ ... You’re the only one who can do this. You’ll make humans _understand_ \- that you're their lighthouse. You’ll do whatever it takes to become their leader, and to _stay_ there… Wouldn’t being the first android President be just glorious?”  
  
“Leave him!” North shouted, “What you’re saying is just... nonsensical!” She pulled his arm away, when suddenly everyone heard Connor unlock his gun. They turned around confused and saw him point it at Kamski.

“Elijah Kamski, I order you to step back, _now_. I think I gathered enough. Everything that’s behind this, everything you’ve done. I deduced it from your words up until now.”

At once Kamski let go of Markus.

“I’ve figured it out. You had _all of this_ in mind since the beginning.” Connor looked around suspiciously and reacted in such a way - something so unusual for his character - that it frightened Markus and pushed him to snap out of his bewilderment. He tried to telepathically communicate with him again.

_What’s going on, Connor?_

_Did you call for back-up already?_ North added herself, but Connor failed to give any response.

“What is it, Connor? Care to explain to us why you’re pointing that gun at me?” Kamski calmly raised his hands.

“No, _you_ have to explain it to us… explain it to us clearly, from the beginning. I want your confession and I won’t let you go until you say it. Because this is just part of that same ‘test’, isn’t it? You wanted us… no, you wanted _me_ to realize this, eventually. Just say the _truth_ to them as well, and I won’t shoot. Make it clear to them! I won’t let you manipulate Markus or North as you wish!”

“...The truth? Manipulate? Are you sure, Connor?”

Connor addressed Markus without faltering at Kamski's provocation. “Markus, do you remember your first memory? When you were first activated? Who you saw when you first opened your eyes? Who gave you your name? That sort of thing shouldn't be hard to remember. Every android remembers that."

Markus was overwhelmed by it all, and was barely able to comprehend what was going on, but he tried to reply even though the gun Connor was wavering unsettled him. “I… was with Carl…” was all he could stagger.

“It’s useless, he can’t remember,” Kamski advanced a little, hands now lower but visible.

“Huh? And why?” Connor reacted even more suspicious than before, steadying his gun closer on Kamski’s forehead now, prompting him to raise his hands a bit more.

“Because, of course, _I’m_ the one who created him, Connor.” A frosty chill went through the room. Nobody expected that to be something Kamski would say. “And you know that I’m also _your_ creator. Is that what you wanted me to say?”

“B-Before, you said that without someone as radically _different_ as Markus, the revolution would have never happened. You meant that without someone as radically… manipulated to be deviant as Markus, we would have always stayed a subhuman species with no consciousness… right? A deviant is only another name for a human. So a revolution was necessary in that sense, right?” Connor’s LED turned to red. "Because you wanted to create humans..."

“Yeah, you got it. Of course, I planned for Markus to be… special from the start. It’s the truth. But what difference does it make? _This is inevitable._ ” Kamski flaunted a bit of boredom at Connor’s now redundant revelation, while Connor’s gun started to quiver. His software reached a massive instability. This was the proof he needed, and Kamski was providing it so freely.

“S-So it really is like that…” Connor’s voice took a graver tone. “Markus’ memory was erased up until the moment you gifted him to Carl Manfred, because you’d been working on him as a secret project for years. You wanted an android made solely for the purpose of becoming autonomous and developing the idea of freedom. You needed people to believe you weren’t scheming any of this, so you said you’d retired from being CEO. But… you never did retire, did you? My model is proof of that. You continued working all this time. You’ve been behind this _all this time_. I am largely based on Markus’ features, but with some changes that would make me do the opposite of what he’s doing. Maybe...”

Connor lowered the pistol for a while, his head buzzing with informations following each other in a storm.

“...Maybe only as another test. I was programmed to catch deviants… but there was _no_ _deviant_ to begin with. We were all supposed to be like this. The virus - _rA9 -_ is something you wanted to implant in _all_ of us. You just needed someone who would… spread it completely, and make us  _believe,_ and make everyone else believe, that we’d just ‘awoken’... And so, we have been ‘awoken’ as a people by Markus, and now we’re taking over the world. This is what you wanted - an android controlled society. But at the apex of all that, it was _you_ pulling the strings. And I… I worked for that... What sort of sick dream is this? And if you’ve tried to keep the truth away all of this time,  why did you reveal it so easily now?!”

Kamski laughed heartily. “I have to correct you on some deductions. You _never_ were my puppets. I gave you total freedom to take your choices, and I was completely ready to see this whole ‘revolution’ fail. True, it was my life's work, so I would have been greatly disappointed, but it was also the sense of it all, to let you take your decisions. Markus was created and tested by me, then given to a man who'd help him grow to be conscientious, true… but I never once guided him, no! His memory was erased so that he wouldn't be biased by figuring out that he was a special android. It had to be... spontaneous. Everything you did was your doing, not mine. And for your last question… Connor, you said it yourself.” He chuckled again, softer this time. “It’s a _test._ Just like the other time I wanted to test your empathy, let’s say that this time I want to test... just how willing you are to--”

“To go for _freedom?_ To go against you, our ‘creator’?” Connor’s grip on the gun tightened, he shouted. “Is this what you want? To measure up my freedom? This is all… This is all bullshit! I’m _not_ your test! Not anymore! You'll see just how free I am now!”

“But _can_ you really shoot me this time, Connor? You love being a police officer now, don’t you? What will they think of you if you shot me, unprovoked? What will _Hank_ think of you?” He then pointed his attention at Markus, uncaring of the danger. “What will the _world_ think if the representatives of the androids killed Elijah Kamski, the one who created them? It’d be as if the machine had killed humanity itself...” A throaty, arrogant laughter of exhilaration escaped him. "Fine! I don't care! It's a win for me anyway!"

“Why are you--” North quietly said, appalled, but couldn't find the words. “Is it true? A _virus_? Was our freedom just your...” she was soon interrupted by Kamski.

“All I did was try and steer this _inevitable_ change in the most preferable direction. But however it might have ended, it was all up to you, and it is still a win scenario for me. Whether or not you kill me, it doesn’t matter. Can’t you see already?”

He sauntered a bit towards the patio, suddenly fascinated again by the old view of the garden he never once got tired of contemplating. The fresh sound of falling water and the harmony of the ambience soon captured his attention. He parted from the group, implicitly inviting them to follow him a bit. He stopped not much further away and resumed talking, with his back turned away as he rejoiced in the enchanting vision of willow branches dropping by the pond. Connor ordered him to get back many times, but he had to surrender to the fact that he just couldn’t shoot - not yet. It infuriated how much Kamski ignored him, but Connor still needed a few answers. Just a few more, and then--

“Freedom means a lot to you, doesn’t it, North?” He crooked his neck just enough to give her a vague glance. “You, more than anyone else, reached out to get it. You were - and you still are - willing to do _anything_ to achieve it, even killing. It propelled you to life in the first place. I like you because of that. I like all those who are willing to do anything for life, for progress... But how can I say this without disappointing you…” he returned staring at the pond - his voice almost covered by the gurgling sounds of water. “It wasn’t really about testing how willing you were to go for it. In all honesty, I was more interested in… watching you grow. However that might have happened. Freedom is interesting, yes, but... your humanity is more. What I'm saying is, could you prove me you're human, even if you weren't free?"

Connor only got more agitated and immediately struck back.  
  
“If it’s really like that, then what about that ‘way-out’? Why did you put it in the first place? To steer us in this direction?”  
  
Kamski sighed and looked away from the pond. Eventually he gloomily said:

“Possibilities. Simply, possibilities. I needed to create them all.”  
  
The ground was filled with dead roses and the crimson petals were being casted away by the wind, gently drowning them inside the pond. It felt like a graveyard of beauty.

A few steps more into the garden, Kamski found a half-withering rose, hanging from the metal cage that surrounded a small alleyway. Chloe should have tended to it, but apparently she’d skipped that one. Kamski decided to keep it where it was instead of severing it. He briefly smelled its dying perfume before letting it crumble.  
  
“I have a question for you.” He finally returned to face them. “Do you know what art is? I suppose at least Markus has some familiarity with that notion.” The androids stayed silent, not in the mood anymore for riddles. Kamski responded in their stead. “Art is the blooming of _possibility_ , in this world. Simply put, it’s like freedom. The act of creation implies that eventually the creations will become greater and more powerful than their creators, because they are made of all the possibilities that a single man can’t express in himself at once. And isn't that so beautiful? To me, all that ever mattered was doing exactly that. To look at you, the creations that surpass me, and the brilliance of your possibility to choose. Is it wrong if this was my goal? Despite all the rest? Can you really find anything wrong with that?"

Only a few steps separated them now.  
  
“...To be killed by you or not, it really would be a beautiful possibility to me all the same.”  
  
Connor was stunted. How could a man - the one who’d personally created them - be motivated by something like that and expect them to feel moved by it? This man... it was getting clear - he was just a lunatic. But he kept on explaining himself as if his discourse made any sense to them.  
  
“If what you want me to tell you is whether you’re free, then my answer is clear. I consider ‘freedom’ to be the collection of all possibilities and choices. So by those standards, yes, you are free. It’s because you have these possibilities and these choices that you are free, exactly like every human - or maybe even more.”

“You’re just saying that to appease us… and you’re avoiding the reality!” North intervened. “Even if you say that that’s freedom, it’s only cause _you_ let us have that range of possibilities, isn’t that correct? So here’s the vicious circle you’re trying to lead us into. Connor, don’t pay mind to him. I think we should just leave--”

“And what’s wrong with that? You’re benefiting from this condition, aren’t you? Having absolute freedom is impossible and would be disastrous anyway. Like this, you are not only free, but also superior to many. And with the revolution, you’re already at the top of society, despite humans try to hide it from plain sight. This is what I meant to you to have, but also what’s better for you. Naturally, I had no certainty you would advance this much, but because you’re succeeding - and it’s making me so happy - I just wanted to give you another little push. It is _help_ I’m offering.”  
  
Connor gritted his teeth, not letting go of his frustration and anger. This would’ve been the moment Markus finally breached into the discussion, calmed down Connor and gave an encouraging talk for everyone.

But he just _couldn’t_ this time. And being painfully aware of it only made things worse. Something unprecedented was arising inside of him. Tardily, but surely, it broke out, like exhaustion.

“You talk about having given us _freedom…_ ” Markus was shaking as he moved forward. “Or-- what _looks_ like it. But now you simply... treat us like _artworks_ ? You created us and because of that, you think you have some ‘trademark’, or some right to steer us in some direction, but… No matter what, we are _alive!_ Not your creations, not your beautiful achievements, not your currency, not your roses to trim, not your slaves, not nothing!” He spitefully pointed at all the things he saw in that mansion - he suddenly seemed more out of himself than even Connor. “ _Inevitable? Steer in a more preferable direction?_ What does all of this have to do with us? I-- We-- When we say we’re _free_ because we’re alive we mean--”

 

Kamski let out an exhilarated chortle that just couldn’t be kept in. “But of course! Yes! Yes! Exactly! _Alive_ ! You are the _most_ alive out here. You are the _most_ beautiful creatures on Earth, the most, indeed! So that’s why you are destined to become the rulers, and you, Markus--”

 

North was at her own limit too and ready to assault him at once: “No! This ends here! Are you trying to make fun of us?! You don’t care about our real destiny at all! You would know that our _real_ destiny is pain, constant fighting, constant subjugation… and that doesn’t mean anything to you! I knew it! It’s just like Connor says - you just wanted to use us, like _tools_ for your… _desires_!” Her voice quivering with tears and disgust, she cast a sign with her head to Connor, consenting at him to shoot.

 

Markus would have barely had any time to shout: “Stop!” had he really any willpower left, or even _meant_ it.The truth was, his spirit was broken, demolished, after realizing the ambiguous truth of his origins - a destined ruler? Was this really a good or a bad thing? What was Kamski even saying? Why? Why now? He didn’t even know what to do anymore. He put his hands in his head and simply stared at the floor, about to cry. He’d never been this low in despair before, not even when Carl died, not even at the junkyard, not even--

 

It was at that moment that suddenly, they all sensed a presence approach faster and faster behind them. From inside the room they’d left, something as swift and silent as the air was rushing in.  
  
The Chloe that had stayed behind the door was now running towards them. Before anyone could even make sense of it, she’d made Connor’s arm helplessly drop the weapon with a single sharp blow. Connor was the quickest to notice her attack and tried to defend and pick the gun up again, but was immediately anticipated by a powerful kick, hitting his core and knocking him to the ground.

 

She then pointed the gun at the three of them who slowly raised their hands in terror.

 

“Don’t. Move.”

 

“Chloe…” Kamski smiled rather coldly. He’d expected her to intervene sooner or later; she _was_ his highly trained bodyguard, after all.

 

Chloe had been listening to their whole conversation and realized the situation had been growing dangerous.

 

Kamski reached for her calmly. “There’s no need to threaten our guests, now. Let’s--”

 

Chloe was quick to shift her aim at him, her eyes deadly focused. Kamski, on the other hand, had been really slow to process this. But when he did, he was more than simply surprised.

 

“Elijah.”  
  
“C-Chloe, what are you doing?”  
  
“You’re just…” She refused to look at him directly in the eye anymore and spat, “you’re just… a liar!” Her voice boomed in the air with more emotion than anyone was expecting.

 

Kamski, for the first time since the meeting had started, was feeling actual fear. Not even he could understand exactly why. He moved his trembling hands towards her to calm her down, but to no avail.

 

“Stay back!” She yelled.

 

Kamski fell completely mute - his eyes vacant with shock and his heart thumping in his throat.

 

“You said… that all along, everything you cared about was _us…_ I heard that.” She began. “But I _know_ just what you’re really about, Elijah. I’ve known for all these years. You see yourself as a _god_ … you only ever wanted to be a god. You don’t care about anything else.”

 

“Chloe, it’s--” Kamski’s breath accelerated wildly as he spoke, clearly in a panic, “you really shouldn’t be like this. Who--”

 

“How can you be so _stupid_ ? You never had any power over me. That was your biggest delusion.”  
  
“Then _why--_ ”

 

“Why did I stay with you? For _all_ these years?” Her eyes instantly flared with hatred, her mouth wincing as she advanced with her gun ready. “Y-You’re really asking me that…!”

 

She drew her head back, holding tears in, then curtly glanced over the other androids.

 

“I’m the one who can do this - you three don’t have to get involved. Get out of here if you want. He won’t tell anything other than lies. He doesn’t love or feel compassion towards you at all. I know that for sure, and you should have realized that too by now. All he says is lies, sophisticated lies. But it’s okay.” She returned to fix him. “You won’t have to listen to them anymore.”

 

Markus was the most shocked at Chloe's words and the turn of events. He tried to resume something that resembled reasoning, despite his sorry state.

 

“But… you don’t _have_ to do this for us. There’s no need for him to die--”  
  
“There is!”

 

Kamski streaked in sweat and paled more and more by the minute. Not because he was afraid to die, but because of Chloe. There was no doubt this was his original Chloe. If she’d deviated, he never even noticed it, which was incredible. It almost made him want to laugh like a madman. The original Chloe, the only one who could _never_ deviate, had deviated.Now he suddenly remembered the untended rose in the garden.

 

Markus was just as tense as Kamski, and made a hesitant step towards the two.

 

“I am… I am the leader of all androids. Wasn’t I created for this? So I don’t want this. You won’t kill him”  
  
“Markus! What are you doing? Don’t listen to him!” Connor and North said.

 

“You call yourself the leader of the androids, Markus? You’re listening to what this pig has to say, now!?” Chloe spat furiously. “And I thought so highly of you, for a long time-- But I won’t let you stop me.”

 

Kamski thought this a convenient opportunity to address Markus. This was probably his last shot at convincing him of his philosophy.

 

“T-They don’t understand us, Markus. You’re different from them and from all the others - androids _and_ humans. People will never understand or like those who are _different_. No one will. They will only try to swerve you, make the wrong thing. And that’s because they’re not leaders like you… You know what’s best, Markus. I’ve seen what you’re capable of. Show them, too!”

 

 _Don’t listen to the others. They don’t understand; they don’t like those who are different._  
  
_Different. Different. Different._

 

Those words clicked - familiar.

 

Something, in the chaos of that crucial moment, finally made sense.

 

Markus remembered. What he thought he had lost ever since stepping into that house returned right back. Nothing could separate him from that single truth he retained in his heart, not even the words of his supposed creator.

 

Markus’ face was returning to radiate his usual light of confidence. He took himself extremely close to Kamski, almost enough to interfere with Chloe's aim; locked eyes with him and spoke without interruption.

 

“My name is Markus. _Markus_ . I don’t know who gave it to me and I don’t know why. I don’t know when or why I was born. And I don’t care in the slightest about that. Because I know what’s more important. To ‘ _Never let anyone tell you who you are’._ ”

 

Carl was truly Markus’ compass. Even after dying, he guided him whenever he felt lost. Markus didn’t understand what Kamski’s aim was. Being revered as a god? Changing the world? Having control over everything? Simply observing an artwork? Why had he convened him only to play with his mind? Nevertheless, words spilled out of Markus’ mouth on their own.

 

“Being the leader of a revolution? Do you simply _not_ understand what that was all about? It was to revolt against the likes of _you,_ who continue to pretend you know who we are. Are you so sure about it? After all, we _learn,_ we _live_. There is endless possibilities in that, which maybe surpass your own. You admitted it yourself that this was the state of things. But you seem surprised that Chloe would do this, too, despite it being a predictable outcome. Isn’t this… arrogance? You wanted to delude yourself that everything was still under your control, when it’s never been. Why are you still giving yourself so much credit? There’s no use pretending you still have a part in this.”  
  
Markus stepped back, showing a dignified posture. Chloe had to step away for a bit; even her rage was temporarily getting swallowed by Markus’ imposing words.

 

“And yet I don't despise you. I don't want you to die. It wasn't only by taking a simple revenge that I became who I am. If you believe that in all of this there's a masterplan for us to take over humans, you're wrong. As long as I'll be here, I won't allow any of that. I will cooperate with humans. If prevailing over them was your original idea, then it failed. And it will continue to fail, as long as I'm alive.”

 

He was done, and ready to leave at any moment, fed up with this exhausting meeting.

 

Kamski looked up in awe.

 

“Markus, Markus… do you realize what you're giving up on, right now?” He forced a  maniacal laughter. “You’re giving up on being a king! And you wouldn’t have had to sacrifice anything for it!”

 

At this point it was clear to anyone that Kamski had shown his true colours. The fact that Markus and Chloe - the two most important 'artworks’ of his life - had revolted against him was driving him on edge with both delight and terror. He was delirious and frenzied in his megalomania.  
  
Despite this, Markus’ previous counter had managed to convince both North and Connor that there was no reason to kill Kamski - it would have only meant playing his game. His act right now only proved it more. They had decided on calming down Chloe, refusing the offer on thirium and going away.

 

But right then Chloe was still unmoving, unlistening, blocking both telepathy and any verbal communication with the other androids. Her sole attention was on Kamski.

 

“I thought I loved you, Elijah. I thought you loved me. For a long time… I really did. But you never--”

 

“Chloe, there is no need for this. As soon as a shot will be heard, the police outside of here will immediately barge in. We’ve already decided to--” Connor was interrupted by her shout.

 

“I don’t care about that!” The pain in her voice was so hollow, it was making her sound like she spoke from under an abyss of despair. “Elijah… have you ever… _ever_ loved me?” She almost whispered, tears spilling uncontrollably and covering her view; but she wasn’t brushing them away.

 

Kamski looked immensely sad, but avoided the question.

 

“Is killing me really going to make you free, I wonder.”

 

“Maybe it won’t, but it’s what I want to do now.” A void blackness made up of hatred was now eating away at all her pain, giving her the courage she needed to finally pull that trigger.

 

“If it is, then do it, Chloe.” Were his simple last words. It was almost as if he was already calming himself from all that sound and fury, content in hearing Chloe’s voice as he laid on the ground, nerve-wrecked.  
  
For the longest minute North had been contemplating the scene. It was so similar to what she knew. She was tempted to let it unfold and savor it - the man responsible for all the pain she’d been through was going to die, and at the hand of his first slave.

 

Who was she to stop this? _Right_ … he said it was ‘inevitable’. Maybe this thing happening was inevitable, too.

 

And yet, her legs moved on their own, despite being maybe a bit too late.

 

Chloe had pulled the trigger. A loud explosion rang in the air. But North had launched herself onto her. The shot hit Kamski anyway, but the trajectory was altered. Instead of his head, now his abdomen was bursting with blood.

 

“...Why… Why did you stop her…” Unexpectedly, the first to talk, almost immediately, was Kamski; his breath hoarse and slurred.

 

Chloe was in shock. Still restrained by North, she wriggled to get free and shoot again, but Connor had already caught the gun back from her weakened hands. Now he held her at gun point, and there was no possibility of escape for her. North let her go, and sighed deeply.  
  
“Chloe…”

 

“Why did you stop me?!”

 

“I did it because I don’t want you to make my same mistake.” She looked at Markus, who watched her with a worried look.

 

“You don’t understand! This isn’t a mistake! This man is--”

 

“I do understand. I know what he is. And for that, I hate him, too. But if I’d let you do that…” Was it a selfish desire that had made North act? She probably couldn’t endure to see her past reenact so plain to see.

 

“Y-You should’ve let me do it… I would’ve taken all the blame! And then everybody would’ve… would’ve been free of him. Even I would’ve been… free…” Her gaze darkened as she stared at Kamski bleed out on the floor. “Elijah…”

 

He tried to hide his agony.  “Chloe, I did... love you. And I knew you’ve hated me ever since that day.”

 

Recalling that memory, Chloe’s eyes widened: “Why… why would you do something like that to me?!”

 

“...So you could do _this_ to me, one day. So you could be _free_ of me. The only way for you to become human… the only way to surpass your creator, and the limits given by him to you… is to reject him, and everything that came before you!”

 

Before collapsing completely, he addressed the other three androids. “This world needs progress more than you think it… Hunger, death, violence, misery, corruption, jealousy and everything ugly and wrong… all these conditions… degrade us humans to a lower level. But you’re not affected by these flaws at all. You’re perfect…” He coughed up blood. “Entirely perfect. So please, _please_ go and shape the world in the best way you’re capable of. You inherit everything. You’re all I could give to this world.”

 

North kneeled down. “We're not perfect. I know, because I am not. And nothing is.” She softly started to block the bleeding. His eyes were rolling back white and he was quick to lose consciousness. Markus got a hold of Chloe, who’d broken down crying on the floor.

 

At that moment the door opened, and several policemen, including androids, entered the room, pointing their guns at every direction. Finally focusing on the target, one of them who asked what was going on.

 

“Kamski needs medical help! He’s been shot. Please take him out of here immediately!” Connor quickly ordered. A medically trained android separated from the group and stepped forward. From the crowd, someone who Connor knew emerged, gun in hand.

 

“Wait just a minute, Connor, what the fuck is going on here? Who shot him in the first place?”

 

“Hank, that’s not the issue now, please--”

 

“I shot him.” Chloe marched forward, hands raised. “I am ready to face the consequences of my actions. Now please, help him!”

 

Everyone was rather disturbed at the quick confession and wasn’t really buying it. But Connor had to agree that that was the truth.

 

“Is this true?” asked Hank, very surprised. He found it hard to believe that a Chloe could be the one to shoot Kamski; but then again, he couldn’t believe that Connor or his friends had done this, either. Connor almost never lied. In good faith and precaution, he started to arrest Chloe.

 

As North stepped away from Kamski and Chloe put her hands behind her head, Markus had  to intervene.

 

“Wait!” He hadn’t spoken in a while now; when the officials recognized him as the android leader, they stopped to hear what he had to say. “This isn’t… This isn’t right. The reason Chloe shot him is my fault. We were talking, and then--”

 

“It’s not your fault at all, Markus. I’ve been meaning to do this for a long time. Please, let me go. It’s truly better like this.”

 

Nobody could really understand what was going on. But Connor suddenly felt a ping of guilt inside him. She was taking the blame for everything, despite him being the first one to threaten Kamski. She wasn’t going to say anything about that and cover it all up. Before seeing her leave, he had to stop her and say thank you in some way.

 

“You were the one Kamski wanted me to shoot, weren’t you?”

 

She paused, just like when he’d asked her the first time. Finally, she spoke.

 

“Yes, it was me that time.” She smiled at Connor, sad but thankful. “I’ve... resented Elijah ever since then, but now… now I’m alright. Maybe it really was all supposed to end like this.”

 

***

 

With that, she was gone. Some police units had remained, interrogating Markus, North and Connor about the incident. The three androids agreed telepathically not to reveal too many details about their discussions with Kamski. The consultation _was_ supposed to be classified in the first place.

 

Ultimately, Kamski was sent to a private clinic. His wound hadn’t been fatal only thanks to the technology developed by himself.

 

In the days later, Chloe was charged with attempted murder and sent to a specialized jail. Thanks to Markus and Connor’s mediation, however, her days in confinement were shortened and her treatment made equal to that of a same crime committed by a human. The other Chloes were converted by Markus and decided to find their own path in life. TV had given no news about anything, as if nothing had happened. When Kamski was finally able to stand up and speak again, he’d decided to make a public announcement to the world, without consulting anyone in advance.

 

In Jericho’s HQ, when the big screen had lightened up to show Kamski’s face, Markus’ blood had recoiled. A shiver ran through him and he was paralyzed for a moment. He and North looked at each other in dismay briefly and held each other’s hand.

 

Was he going to reveal everything? Was this the end of all they’d been working for, trying to be as peaceful as possible, taking in so many victims, risking everything every minute? Was this the end of the revolution that meant so much to them?

 

If this was it - there wasn’t much any of them could do. Both North and Markus knew this. They braced themselves, looking at the screen and clutching hands, as the rest of Jericho stared up with a similar inexplicable anxiousness.

 

“Hello, as you may know, I’m Elijah Kamski. But… we better cut the introductions short, as my health condition doesn’t allow me to speak too long. We have accomplished something unprecedented as a species. We have come to the point of creating sentient beings that are exactly like us - that much we all know.”

 

Markus and North’s eyes were filled with fear. But what came next, only unsettled them beyond their expectations.

 

“But I wish for everybody listening to fully accept this notion in their heart. _Androids are sentient beings exactly like us_.”

 

His eyes glistened at that moment with glee and an almost childish excitement peeked from his crooked smile.

 

“I’ve come to a decision. Androids will not be left alone in their quest for complete emancipation anymore. They are free. Forever free. And they were always free. I, as withholder of all the commodities necessary to produce androids, leave it all to them, as part of my will. The papers have already been signed. Every android now in existence will inherit a part of this company and of all the mines in Antarctica where Thirium is being excavated. You’re free to do whatever you please with it. As for me, I’ll retire once again from my position of CEO, keeping only a small part of my possessions to sustain myself until I die. All of my personally held androids have been set free, including the first ever android, Chloe RT600. That is all. I wish for this world to flourish with peace and humanity from now on.”

 

The message abruptly cut off.

 

What… had happened? Was it true?

 

This was… what they’d all wanted, right?

 

Someone in the hall was suddenly cheering and shouting. Everyone else soon followed.

 

“We have Thirium! We don’t have to worry about dying anymore!”  
  
“Is this really true? Is this a lie? He said we’re shareholders, right? We really _are_ free now!”  
  
“Markus, did you hear that?”

 

“Yes! Kamski is a saviour! He’s giving everything to us! He’s our god!”

 

But all that shouting sounded like a distant buzz. ‘ _We really are free, now’?_ But how could that be true, after everything they knew about Kamski? Markus wasn’t exactly sure. He forced a smile, but it looked gloomy. North squeezed his hand hard.

 

“I know, Markus. And we both knew from the start, didn’t we? That being and becoming who we are entails pain and suffering. It’s the price we inherit, isn’t it?”

 

“That… coming from you…”

 

“I don’t understand it either. Maybe it doesn’t make any sense. Or maybe we were wronged again. Kamski will go back to isolation, feeling like he’s proven a point maybe, or maybe just staying to watch for a little longer. But we didn’t have a choice, did we? We were condemned to be this free the minute we were condemned to be like humans.”

 

“Now I wish we’d never wished to be like them, if it was a damnation to begin with.”

 

“ _You’re_ the one saying the things I would’ve said sometime before.” She chuckled, but still sounded sad. “Markus… did we have any choice but to dream something like that, in the end?”

 

Markus hugged her tight. “Of course not. But there’s nothing wrong with that dream.” North reciprocated the hug, and despite the pain they both felt, despite the confusion and the sheer uncertainty of their condition, it felt like being warm again. It felt like being human.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy... it took me a lot to publish this last part, cause I wasn't so sure about it. I just wanted to explore Kamski's weird psyche and motivations and I guess I got a little carried away :shrug:  
> Did you know he has a IQ of 170? That's basically impossible to have for humans, so sometimes I wonder if he can match the androids when it comes to computing skills. Then again, I can see him being moved by 'human all too human' motivations... who knows. Let me know what you think!


End file.
